The Half-Hearted

ies of her nephew, led the guests over the place and found to her horror that it seemed undwelt in. The hall was in order, and the tart and rosy lairds of Etterick looked

presence. Soon the four tenants arrived, hot and breathless, from the hill, to find Bertha Afflint deep in rods and guns, Miss

cient ally, greeted him effusively, and Alice cast shy glances at this strong man with the kind smile and awkward manners. The truth is that Wratislaw was acutely nervous. With Mr. Stocks alon

Sir Robert has retired? What a treasure of a cook you have, sir! The poor man is going to travel, as his health is b

e tangled skein of

er intended to bother with party politics, at least not for a good many years, but some people want me to stand, so I h

a little pale, but

an opponent. But I thought that yesterday

atislaw talked to me seri

signally, and detected a sudden unfavourab

e, while I have George, who doesn't count in this show, and I hope Wratislaw. I'll give you a three days'

in a different camp for three dreary weeks, and that Mr. Stocks would claim more of her society than ever. With feminine inconsistency she visited her repugnance towards that gentleman on his innocent rival. But Mr. Lewis Haystoun's light-hearted manner of regarding the business struck the little Puritan deeper. Politics had always been a thing of the gravest import in her eyes, bound up with a man's duty and h

, and how can you speak things you only half believe? I hate to think of men playing at polit

fight he would sink daily in the estimation of this small critic, while his opponent would as conspicuously rise

ged to Mr. Stocks for the last week. Alice is a keen politician, and, I believe, has permanently unset

atislaw. "I could wish at times for the revi

n a fine heat of virtue devoted herself to Mr. Stocks. That gentleman had been melancholy, but the favour of Miss Wishart made him relax his heavy brows and become communicative. He was flattered by

ce, no graceful displeasure. She thanked him, but coldly, and the two climbed the ridge above the lake, whence the whole glen may be seen winding beneath. It was still, hot July weather, and th

e prospect of the ne

, it is only a month, and it will all

us, and yet you have to be driven by force to the simplest move in the game, and all th

you-Alice?" he said

ce, so that the man might not see the v

ty." And the little doctrinaire walked with head erect to t

which sounded harshly flippant in her ears. She looked at him reproachfully; it was cruel to treat her seriousness with scorn; and then, seeing Lady Manorwater and the others on the lawn below, she asked him with studied carel

s so-called virtues to scorn. Such, at least to begin with, was his honourable intention. But the subtle Wratislaw drew him from his retirement and skilfully elicited his coy principles. It was a cruel performance-a shameless one, had there been any spectator. The one would lay down a fine generous line of policy; the other would b

? You see, you are rather heavy metal for a beginne

ttle, and he wants the fight to brace him. I'll leave him to fight his own battles, and wish

s not on a platform. He thanked Wratislaw with great heartiness, and when Lady Man

world. We can't find boats or canoes and we can't find him. Oh, here is the truan

n with her plans. She had seemed to court Mr. Stocks's company, while he most certainly sought eagerly for hers. But Lewis, if he entered the lists, would be a perplexing combatant, and Lady Manorwater called her gods to witness that it should not be. Many motives decided her against

company. The young woman agreed readily, with the result that Alice and Mr. Stocks were left sole occupants of the carriage for the better half of the way. The man was only too willing to seize the chance thus divinely given him. His irritati

on was unnatural and could not be maintained. Even now Lewis was in her thoughts. Fragments of his odd romantic speech clove to her memory. His figure-for he showed to perfection in his own surroundin

ised a cloud-built castle of fine hopes, when he had with manly simplicity repeated his confession of faith, he felt that the crucial moment had

the girl started from a reverie in which Lewis

for maide

of each other lately, and I have come to be very fond of you. I trust y

ly he had fallen into the soft patronizing tone in

ntal face and laughed. She felt asha

everything in common. Your father will be delighted, and we will work together for the good of the people

these wild words he was speaking? She dimly caught their purport, heard the mention of E

aid calmly. "Of course I am obliged to you for the h

, with angry eyes. "I

She forgave him his rudeness and folly, his tactless speech and his comical face. He was in love with her, he offered her what he

Etterick, or what part had they in the inheritance of herself and her kind? Had not Mr. Stocks-now sitting glumly by her side-spoken the truth? We are only what we are made, and generations of thrift and seriousnes